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Re/code's Sale and Life After Advertising
After the tech news site Re/code sold itself to Vox Media, reports in Fortune and the New York Post noted that the deal was necessary because it’s just too darned hard to build a media company these days. Months before the Re/code sale, the long-running tech site Gigaom had shuttered, too.
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- Trump's Judgment Is Debatable. His Sanity Is Not.
- Never-Trumpers Never Agree About Anything Else
- GOP Surrenders Cherished IRS Scandal at Last
- The Blockchain Might Scare the Gig Economy to Death
- What Trump Got (Half) Right in Asia
- What a Middling Uber Rating Might Say About You
- Converging on Tax-Reform Nonsense


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Here are the top stories from the startup space.
BharatPe’s Ashneer Grover says viral audio clip with abuse is 'fake, to extort funds'
BharatPe founder Ashneer Grover said that a viral audio clip which claims to be of him verbally abusing a Kotak Mahindra bank employee for not getting share allotment in beauty brand Nykaa’s IPO is “fake” and that it was a “scamster” who put it out.
“Folks. Chill. It’s a fake audio by some scamster trying to extort funds (US$ 240K in bitcoins). I refused to buckle. I’ve got more character. And Internet has got enough scamsters,” Grover tweeted.
Ashneer Grover also shared screenshots of his e-mail exchange from last month with “Unicon Baba” who sought $240,000 in exchange of marketing and promotion for BharatPe.
The unverified clip, tweeted on Wednesday morning by an account named “@BabuBongo”, has a SoundCloud link with an audio clip. “How rich founders treat poor bank employees,” the account claimed.
Allegedly in the audio clip, Ashneer Grover and his wife Madhuri Jain Grover are heard arguing with the bank employee over not getting them the IPO allocation, with the former hurling out abuses and even threats to the employee and his family during the conversation. The word Grover reportedly uses to threaten the bank employee is 'encounter'.
Shiprocket to acquire 75% stake in Wigzo Tech: Report
Zomato-backed Shiprocket is all set to acquire a 75% stake in Delhi-based Wigzo Tech which operates an enterprise automation suite for a valuation of around $20-25 million, sources told Moneycontrol.
The deal will have around 60% secondary and 15% primary components and is likely to help Shiprocket build a full-stack solution for its merchants to drive better logistics.
All the existing investors of Wigzo including Mahandas Pai-backed 3one4 Capital and Advantedge Partners besides angels investors would be exiting the company following the deal, the report added.
Space-bound and unstoppable! Shiprocket India commits to buying a 75% stake in WigzoTech. Heading towards new horizons in eCommerce tech," Wigzo tweeted.
Google Cloud partners with CryptoWire to develop blockchain, crypto ecosystem
TickerPlant, a subsidiary of 63 Moons technologies limited, today announced its collaboration with Google Cloud for the development of the CryptoWire eco-system, catering to all stakeholders of crypto and the blockchain industry on a common platform.
As an exchange neutral global platform, CryptoWire aims to simplify the digital asset class, blockchain technology, its industrial application and empower enthusiasts and professionals to make informed business decisions by offering deep insight and leading-edge knowledge.
CryptoWire's state-of-the-art knowledge portals, CryptoTV and Crypto University will provide technology and knowledge-intensive global intervention in crypto asset and blockchain ecosystem to enable seamless operations and convergence of all applications for participants to make informed investment decisions and enable industry usage of the blockchain.
TickerPlant will tap Google Cloud's scalable, reliable, and high-performance data management infrastructure to build and expand CryptoWire's applications, as well as leverage its innovative networking capabilities for video streaming, content delivery, smart business execution, and opportunity convergence.
In addition, CryptoWire will also explore Google Cloud's advanced solutions including smart data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to deliver a superior customer experience.
On Monday this week, CryptoWire, a global crypto super app that is a special business unit of TickerPlant, launched India's first index of Cryptocurrencies - IC15 to empower knowledge on crypto and blockchain ecosystem.
Notably, Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Bitcoin Cash, Cardano, Litecoin, Binance Coin, Chainlink, Polkadot, Uniswap, Dogecoin, Solana, Terra, Avalanche, and Shia Inu are the constituents of IC15.
Simpl eyes aggressive growth backed by asset backed facility from partner investors
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) fintech Simpl has secured an asset-based facility from Franklin Templeton, Finuvo and Catalina Finance to fund the rapid growth of its 1-click pay-later offering.
The funding line will support close to $1billion in annual payment volume, the startup said.
The recent capital infusion, along with the Series B funding last year, will allow Simpl to accelerate the growth of its existing businesses. Simpl will also be doubling its engineering, product, data science and sales teams to work on a suite of new merchant and consumer-facing products to enable zero friction commerce experiences, it claimed.
After growing its merchant base by 10x in the last 12 months to more than 10,000 online retailers, Simpl is seeing strong growth acceleration in user-base and payment volumes.
Besides the growing merchant network that now includes Jio, Zomato, Bigbasket and MakeMyTrip, Simpl’s growth is fueled by the rise of e-commerce and consumers’ increasing demand for safe, seamless and cashless premium payment options.
Edtech startup Wonderslate launches App in App
Edtech startup Wonderslate has launched 'App in App' that allows their end users /learners to integrate more than 120 eBooks, eLibrary in learning apps.
With this, learners will now be able to easily use Wonderslate's smooth user experience and learning features like highlight, annotate, online tests, videos, and other multimodal learning based on blended learning methodology, the company said in a statement.
"The idea is to enable any educational app to get access to eBooks/ eLibrary technology with all features at the fingertips of the users for their ease and convenience. The pandemic has opened a plethora of opportunities to explore new ideas and innovation. App in App is just the right step in that direction and we hope that the learners will definitely get maximum benefits from this," said Anand Achyut, Founder & CEO, Wonderslate.
GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY & STARTUP NEWS
Google hit with 150M euro French fine for cookie breaches
France's data privacy watchdog CNIL has fined Alphabet's Google a record 150 million euros ($169 million) for making it difficult for internet users to refuse online trackers known as cookies, Reuters reported.
Meta Platforms' Facebook was also fined 60 million euros for the same reason, the CNIL said.
"When you accept cookies, it's done in just one click," said Karin Kiefer, CNIL's head for data protection and sanctions. "Rejecting cookies should be as easy as accepting them".
In its statement, the watchdog said it had found that the facebook.com, google.fr and youtube.com websites didn't allow the refusal of cookies easily, citing Google's video-streaming platform.
The CNIL said the two companies had three months to comply with its orders or face an extra penalty payment of 100,000 euros per day of delay.
These include the obligation for Google and Facebook to provide French internet users simpler tools for refusing cookies, in order to guarantee their consent.
The CNIL said that while Google and Facebook provided a virtual button to allow the immediate acceptance of cookies, there was no equivalent to refuse them as easily.
"People trust us to respect their right to privacy and keep them safe. We understand our responsibility to protect that trust and are committing to further changes and active work with the CNIL in light of this decision," a Google spokesperson said.
CNIL's previous record fine in 2020 also targeted Google and amounted to 100 million euros.
Twitter convenes a team to prepare for Capitol riot anniversary
Ahead of the one-year anniversary of the storming of the US Capitol, Twitter convened a team to prepare the social networking site to address any harmful content associated with the event, the company told Reuters.
Social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook were accused of enabling extremists to organize the siege on January 6, 2021, when supporters of Republican then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol to block Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden's presidential election victory.
Twitter said it "convened a cross-functional working group" comprised of members across its site integrity and trust and safety teams, which is specific to the anniversary of the attack on the Capitol and will watch for risks such as tweets and accounts that incite violence. The company did not say how many people were on the monitoring team.
The company said the effort expands upon its work to monitor the platform around major global events, and added it will continue to monitor trending topics and search results for harmful content.
A spokesperson for Meta Platforms, the company previously known as Facebook, said in a statement: "We’re continuing to actively monitor threats on our platform and will respond accordingly.”
A spokesperson for YouTube, which is owned by Google, said the online video platform had removed tens of thousands of videos for violating its US elections-related policies over the past year, and said it continued to closely monitor for election misinformation on the site.
Tencent's WeChat mini program daily users in China hit 450M
China's dominant messaging app, Tencent Holdings' Weixin, known as WeChat outside the country, said that average daily active users for its mini programs hit 450 million in 2021.
As per Reuters, that represents a 13% increase from a year earlier, much slower than the 33% growth seen in 2020.
The mini programs - which look and operate much like apps on Apple’s iOS and Google's Android operating systems, but are less data intensive - are key to Tencent's efforts to build its e-commerce operations.
Weixin said at its annual developers conference in Guangzhou that the number of active mini programs operated by overseas merchants had more than tripled over the past two years.
Total transaction volumes via those programs grew 897% over the same period, it added.
More than 700 million users have used Weixin mini programs tailored to combat the pandemic, such as ones used to book COVID-19 tests, the company said.
Weixin will also start to allow users to pay with China's digital yuan, Tencent said, as the country's central bank steps up its push to develop its own digital currency.
China bans most exclusive copyright deals for digital music platforms
China's copyright authority said that digital music platforms are not allowed to sign exclusive copyright agreements except in special circumstances, amid a regulatory crackdown on monopolistic behaviour in the country's private sector, Reuters reported.
The National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC) gave the order on Thursday at a meeting in Beijing with influential digital music platforms, as well as record and songwriting copyright companies, according to a statement published on the NCAC's official WeChat account.
The order comes amid a widening crackdown by Chinese regulators on the country's technology sector, which has focused on issues such as monopolistic behaviour, unfair competition and consumer rights.
The NCAC did not mention which companies were called in on Thursday. Besides Tencent, smartphone maker Xiaomi, telecommunications provider China Mobile, and Internet tech giant Netease all own popular streaming services in China. Globally popular streaming services like Spotify are banned in mainland China.
Australia's Latitude offers $242M for Humm's BNPL business
Australian digital payments and lending firm Latitude Group on Thursday offered to buy Humm Group consumer unit, including its buy now, pay later business, for A$335 million ($241.8 million), as per Reuters.
The proposal comes weeks after Humm said it was approached for a takeover, and follows bellwether Afterpay's (APT.AX) $29 billion buyout by Block, which analysts have said could spark a flurry of deal-making as more household names look to enter the fast-growing sector.
Latitude said it will pay A$35 million in cash and 150 million shares for the unit as it looks to accelerate its BNPL strategy, and expects to have more than five million customers and over 70,000 merchants after the deal.
It currently expects annualised combined synergies and cash earnings from the acquisition to exceed A$100 million pre-tax in 2023 and anticipates the deal to be double digit accretive to its earnings.
Bitcoin, ether near multi-month lows following hawkish Fed minutes
Bitcoin fell below $43,000 on Thursday, testing multi-month lows after minutes from the Federal Reserve's last meeting showed it leaning toward more aggressive policy action, which sapped investor appetite for riskier assets.
The world's largest cryptocurrency was last at $42,700, down 1.7%, having lost 5.2% on Wednesday. A break below last month's trough of $42,000 would make it the weakest since September, Reuters reported.
The token hit a record high of $69,000 in November.
Ether, the world's second-largest cryptocurrency which underpins the ethereum network, lost 5.2% on Wednesday, and touched its lowest level since October, before bouncing back slightly to $3,460.
Crypto scammers took a record $14 Bn in 2021: Report
Scammers took home a record $14 billion in cryptocurrency in 2021, thanks in large part to the rise of decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, according to new data from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.
Losses from crypto-related crime rose 79% from a year earlier, driven by a spike in theft and scams.
Scamming was the greatest form of cryptocurrency-based crime in 2021, followed by theft — most of which occurred through hacking of cryptocurrency businesses. The firm says that DeFi is a big part of the story for both, in yet another warning for those dabbling in this emerging segment of the crypto industry.
“DeFi is one of the most exciting areas of the wider cryptocurrency ecosystem, presenting huge opportunities to entrepreneurs and cryptocurrency users alike,” Chainalysis wrote in its annual Crypto Crime report.
“But DeFi is unlikely to realize its full potential if the same decentralization that makes it so dynamic also allows for widespread scamming and theft.”
Cryptocurrency theft rose 516% from 2020, to $3.2 billion worth of cryptocurrency. Of this total, 72% of stolen funds were taken from DeFi protocols, as per CNBC.
Losses from scams rose 82% to $7.8 billion worth of cryptocurrency.
Over $2.8 billion of this total came from a relatively new but very popular type of scheme known as a “rug pull,” in which developers build what appear to be legitimate cryptocurrency projects, before ultimately taking investors’ money and disappearing.
(Edited by : Priyanka Deshpande)
First Published: IST

domain: news


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The Oculus Rift, first and foremost, is the future of gaming. That seems like a bold statement but when you see what it can actually do, you’ll agree.
It is a virtual reality head mounted display that turns major release games into a 3D experience that people playing the NES in the 80s only dreamed of. The Oculus Rift lets players block out the real world and have a fied of view of more than 90 degrees horizontal, more than any other competing device, which is its strongest pull. It has been said to really provide an immersive experience.
The Oculus Rift started off as a Kickstarter idea, developed by Oculus VR, and raised $2.4 million dollars. It was first introduced at the 2012 E3 with a live demonstration of the prototype and it only took four hours for them to reach their original Kickstarter goal of $250,000. Now, the device is being supported by huge developers like Cliffy B, John Carmack of id Software, Gabe Newell of Valve, as well as a ton of others. Having that kind of developmental backing is proof that the Oculus Rift isn’t just a gimmick but a seriously great piece of technology.
So when will it actually be in homes? Well, currently Oculus VR is working on tweaking the headset even further and working on tracking movement better. But there are a lot of great videos out on Youtube if you want a demonstration of how it works. It has already been used on past releases like Team Fortress 2 and Skyrim, to name a couple, and with astonishingly accurate results. There’s been talk of a starting price point of around $400, though nothing has been confirmed.
Could this be the future? Will every gaming household have an Oculus Rift in it at some point in the next 5 years? If price ends up going down once development is really set, it is more than possible that this could be the next big piece of technology in homes. It’s everything gamers ever wanted, but we’ll have to wait and see how things develop down the line.


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GLENDALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 14, 2020--
Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY) today announced the following investor events:
Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2019 earnings conference call on Wednesday, January 29th at 1:00 p.m. ET. The company's fourth quarter and full year earnings news release will be issued that morning at 6:45 a.m. ET.
2020 Avery Dennison Analyst Meeting in New York, on Wednesday, May 13th beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET and ending at 11:30 a.m. ET.
These events will be webcast live, and replays will be available on Avery Dennison's Investor Relations website (www.investors.averydennison.com).
About Avery Dennison
Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY) is a global materials science and manufacturing company specializing in the design and manufacture of a wide variety of labeling and functional materials. The company’s products, which are used in nearly every major industry, include pressure-sensitive materials for labels and graphic applications; tapes and other bonding solutions for industrial, medical and retail applications; tags, labels and embellishments for apparel; and radio-frequency identification (RFID) solutions serving retail apparel and other markets. Headquartered in Glendale, California, the company employs approximately 30,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Reported sales in 2018 were $7.2 billion. Learn more at www.averydennison.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200114005790/en/
Source: Avery Dennison Corporation
Rob Six (626) 304-2361
Cindy Guenther (626) 304-2204


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Chinese cryptocurrency exchanges and other blockchain companies are coping with a new reality as the coronavirus outbreak continues to disrupt their daily operations.
While crypto trading, customer service and marketing remain largely intact, the outbreak has taken its toll on technical upgrades, product development, logistics and business travel, according to a dozen executives in China interviewed by CoinDesk.
Following the outbreak, the Chinese government extended its Lunar New Year vacation by one week to Feb.10. Weeks later, a few major Chinese cities remain locked down, and many companies have asked their employees to work from home – including blockchain businesses.
“We encourage our employees to work remotely after the vacation as there are so many people from every part of China coming back to work,” said Aurora Wong, vice president at ZB Group. “The coronavirus is not a regional epidemic, it has been spread across the country and even to other countries.”
The outbreak “has caused psychological stress on people,” Wong said. “While many cities are not technically in lockdown, it is definitely not encouraged to come out for our own health and the whole society to get the epidemic under control.”
Founded in China in 2013, Switzerland-based ZB Group claims its crypto exchange now serves over 10 million users, with $3 billion in average daily trading volume. It has operations across the world including China, Singapore, South Korea and the U.S.
According to Wong, the outbreak is likely to slow the exchange’s technical upgrade to a new version. The upgrade could include front-end mobile apps for users as well as the back-end trading engine.
Before the outbreak, “we were very efficient and fast on upgrading our platform because people across different departments such as the engineering team, product development and marketing could meet and work together to carry out plans,” Wong said.
However, the outbreak has had only a limited impact on daily operations of ZB’s trading platform since the firm keeps a schedule to rotate its staff to maintain the exchange, according to Wong.
Estonia-based Bibox crypto exchange, which also originated from China, said it has a contingency plan to tackle the operational challenges due to the coronavirus outbreak.
“We might relocate our core engineering team to other Asian countries such as one of our Asian headquarters in Singapore or Vietnam where there are much fewer infected cases,” said Aries Wang, co-founder of Bibox.
According to Wang, Bibox’s trading, marketing and customer service have not been affected much, but new product development and networking events with potential investors have been disrupted to a degree.
“We originally planned a meeting for Chinese crypto funds and private equity firms in London to pave the way for our potential initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange in March,” Wang said. “The meeting and IPO would probably be delayed to a later date.”
Further, when Bibox lists new tokens, the product development team needs to work very closely with the engineering team, creating custom services for clients and upgrading its own exchange platform. But this requires face-to-face meetings, which are for now rare.
OKEx, one of the top three crypto exchanges by trading volume, said it’s staying vigilant now that it has resumed business after the vacation.
“We suggested our employees stay where they already are, avoid crowds as much as possible and reduce business trips,” Jay Hao, the CEO of OKEx, said of its headquarters in Hong Kong.
“Our offices have been completely disinfected, and we have also prepared protective equipment such as surgical masks, liquid soap and alcohol-based sanitizer for all of our employees,” Hao said.
The firm has upgraded its IT systems, such as phone and video conference software, to streamline the process of working from home and ensure normal operations throughout its global offices, according to Hao.
Working (and conferencing) remotely
Outside of trading venues, other blockchain startups in the region say they’ve been significantly affected by the outbreak.
B-Labs, a blockchain incubation center co-founded by Canaan Blockchain, OK Group and Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University, has decided to reduce rents for some of the startups that use the space and open a platform for them to apply for subsidies.
Conflux, a Beijing-based blockchain firm, is also coping with the outbreak’s ramifications.
“Coronavirus has affected us in a way that we had to replan many offline events within the Asia Pacific region,” Christian Oertal, chief marketing officer at Conflux, said. “We had to pivot into organizing and participating in online events.”
“As for office work, everyone at Conflux is working remotely from home. The health of everyone in the company should not be put into any risky situation in current times,” he added.
Another part of the blockchain industry which has been significantly affected by the outbreak is mining, the business of running expensive computers that race to solve math problems in order to record transactions and secure crypto networks.
A spate of miner manufacturers, including Bitmian, MicroBT and Canaan, have expected some of their deliveries to be delayed due to slow logistics caused by the outbreak. Some of the mining farms are short of workers to maintain machines, while a few mining farms have been shut down by local governments as part of the measures to contain the epidemic.
The growth rate of mining difficulty, an indicator of the level of competition among bitcoin miners, has been slowing since the coronavirus outbreak, signaling that miners have paused upgrading to newer, more powerful machines.
In the most recent two-week cycle, from Feb. 11-25, this gauge declined for the first time since early December.
The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, institutional digital assets exchange. Bullish group is majority owned by Block.one; both groups have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary, and an editorial committee, chaired by a former editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal, is being formed to support journalistic integrity.


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Amazon is set to report its Q1 earnings report today, and all eyes will be on whether its stock will continue to rise. Even with President Trump tweeting critical messages about the e-commerce giant over the last few weeks–which did cause a large market reaction at the time–the company has regained the ground it lost. It’s back to slightly above where it was following Amazon’s last earnings report three months ago.
Still, we should be on the lookout for a few bullet points in the earnings report and conference call that could affect shares.
Trump has been tweeting about how Amazon is supposedly ripping off the United States Postal Service. And these tweets did have a huge impact on the company’s stock, in part because shipping has long been one of the costs that has hurt Amazon’s bottom line. Moody’s analyst Charlie O’Shea says he’ll be looking for insight into how much shipping cost Amazon absorbed last year. As the company has grown, it has been trying to clamp down this increasingly sunk cost.
“They didn’t disclose that number for 2017,” says O’Shea, but they had talked about it before. Some estimates put it as high as $10 billion, a huge dent in the company’s profits.
If Trump continues to pressure Amazon about its supposed bad deal with the USPS, we may end up hearing more about ways the company plans to offset its reliance on the post office. That could be a good thing in the long run: For years, Amazon has been investing in its own logistics, which could ultimately ease some of these costs.
Another thing to look out for is the performance of Amazon Web Services. Over the last few years, the cloud hosting service has blossomed into one of Amazon’s top performing units. Amazon’s large profits, in fact, are due to AWS, more so than its core business. While North American e-commerce did deliver profits in 2017, international losses put that business in the red. Meanwhile, AWS saw $4.33 billion of operating income on $17.46 billion of sales.
If AWS hasn’t grown at the same rate, that could give some investors pause.
Prime And Other Ambitions
Finally, one big question hovering over Amazon’s earnings is how well its investments are doing, and whether they will pay off in the long run. We now know that Prime has over 100 million subscribers. Its other ambitions–including advertising and video–have yet to show real gains in terms of helping the bottom line.
We’ll be on the lookout for any clues about those programs. The company generally doesn’t share too many details, but even a small glimpse will hopefully paint a picture of what to expect for 2018.
At the same time, the stock continues to hold up no matter what politics happen at the periphery. As O’Shea says, “Amazon is benefiting from as patient a shareholder base as I’ve seen.”
With investors happy for the time being, it’s unlikely any announcements today will make for a huge dip. Amazon delivers financial results this afternoon after the closing bell. A conference call is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. PT. We’ll have full coverage then.


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Speed and convenience are the top reasons why consumers choose to shop in-store, according to a new PCMS report.
The research found that 58 per cent of shoppers cite immediacy as their main reason for using stores to make purchases.
39 per cent said the store is more convenient than online, and 30 per cent perceived the speed to service to be quicker in-store compared to online.
84 per cent of shoppers said a quick and helpful customer service would make them most likely to shop with a retailer again, followed by quick check out and payment options (44 per cent). And 43 per cent of those surveyed said they will become less tolerant of slow checkout times over the next five years.
“Speed and convenience are central to creating positive in-store customer experiences and conversions, however, our recent research suggests that half of shoppers find the speed and quality of the customer service they experience variable,” said Steve Powell, director of sales, PCMS.
“In-store, where immediacy and support are the key customer benchmarks, retailers’ roadmaps need to prioritise areas like availability – for example, by empowering front-line staff with point of sale technology, which enables effective problem-solving interactions through access to operational and customer data.”


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There have been many rumors and reports about the LG V20 which has been confirmed as the first smartphone to come with Android 7.0 Nougat straight out of the box. It was previously said that the upcoming handset might have some modular aspects like the LG G5 but a new report out of Korea suggests that it may not be modular like LG’s 2016 flagship smartphone.
CNET Korea reports that LG V20 isn’t going to have a modular design like the LG G5 but it’s going to offer some flexibility to users. Apparently, the handset is going to enable customers to access the battery by simply sliding open the back of the V20.
It’s claimed that the LG V20 is going to have a sliding door on the back that’s similar to the HTC Desire HD and that there’s going to be a button on its side which will let users open the left half of the handset.
Doing this will enable users to access the battery, microSD card, and SIM card slot. It’s a different solution than the G5 where users could completely detach the bottom part of the device.
LG is reportedly hoping that this will increase its production yield rate of the V20 and thus enable the company to sell more handsets. Whether or not that actually translates into success in the market remains to be seen.
The company is going to formally unveil the V20 at an event in San Francisco in the very near future.


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Recent Press Releases
100% of workers signed cards to unionize with UFCW Local 400.
The College Park store is the third MOM’s Organic Market to file for a union election.
“We will continue to put every resource at our disposal to prevent this cash grab and protect the thousands of union workers who will be left out in the cold if this deal goes through.”
Letter: Grocery Worker Unions, Antitrust Experts & Advocates Urge FTC to Halt Albertsons Special Dividend Payout and Oppose Merger with Kroger
A coalition of unions and advocates are urging the FTC to halt Albertsons unprecedented $4B dividend and oppose a merger with Kroger.
UFCW Local 400 Applauds Attorney General Karl Racine for Taking Action to Halt Albertsons Disaster Dividend Payment
“If allowed to occur, this payout will leave Albertsons largely depleted of liquid assets and put the livelihoods of countless grocery workers in jeopardy.”
“We are firmly opposed to this merger because of the negative impact it will have on our union members at both Kroger and Safeway, as well as the communities we serve.”
Workers are demanding a new union contract for 1,200 Shoppers employees after years of stalled negotiations.
Workers voted overwhelmingly to ratify the first collective bargaining agreement at the first unionized bookstore in DC.
Politics and Prose Workers Plan Press Conference with Elected Officials to Announce First Union Contract Vote Results
Workers at the iconic shop will hold a press conference to announce the first union contract vote at the first unionized bookstore in the District of Columbia on September 6.
The Germantown store is the latest cannabis workplace in Maryland to unionize.
For all media requests, please contact Jonathan Williams, UFCW Local 400 Communications Director. Call 301-577-6687 or fill out the form below.
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Today's music business is always evolving. One plan that works today may be completely irrelevant tomorrow. Everybody is trying to formulate that new idea that will revolutionize the industry moving forward. One artist actively making moves is Chris Lake.
The DJ and Producer has recently announced a partnership with artist friendly and music discovery platform, WAV, to find new ways to get content to fans. To be specific, the partnership is with Lake's record label, Black Book Records. The partnership is expected to have a heavy emphasis on "cinematic content and various live streaming opportunities" to help bring consumers closer to their content.
In a press release announcing the partnership, Lake explains his admiration for the platform and how eager he is to work with them.
“Working with WAV was attractive to me right away because they are a young company with a strong vision to empower creators to keep creating," said Lake. "WAV is enabling me to publish original content according to my vision and maximize every piece of art I create by connecting it directly to the right audience. I look forward to everything that is to come and more as part of this partnership.”
ILLENIUM, PNAU, Lady Gaga Top Dance/Electronic Categories At Billboard Music Awards
It was another year of stiff competition among the dance music industry's heavyweight contributors and emerging talents.
Above & Beyond Usher In New Era Of Ambient Music With "Reflections" Imprint
The debut offering from Above & Beyond's third label imprint has arrived.
With "So Far So Good" The Chainsmokers Harken Back To The Dawn of Their Mainstream Success
The Chainsmokers continue to demonstrate that they seemingly have an earworm for every moment.
Lake started Black Books Records last year and its first release was his extremely popular track, "Operator". On behalf of WAV, CEO Jeanie Han commented on their new partnership with Chris Lake.
"Our priority at WAV has always been about making sure the artist comes first. As we realize our ultimate vision of enhancing the paradigm of artist-to-audience interaction through our technology, we couldn’t be happier to empower Chris because he understands what we intend to accomplish."
The first single released by this new partnership is Lake's newest track, "Turn off the lights" feat. Alexis Roberts on vocals. The single will be accompanied by a video directed by The Main Idea . The single is out now and can be heard below.
What do you guys think of this new partnership between Chris Lake's Black Book Records and WAV? Will this pave the way for future collaborations and collectives that will help immerse fans in new content?


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Vahan a Bangalore based jobs and livelihood platform has raised $8 million in its series A round of funding led by Silicon Valley investor Khosla Ventures. Vahan is a technology driven platform which helps the blue-collar workers to find the jobs that match their skills. It also assists the employers in finding the right candidate at the right price, at the right place and at the right time. The freshly infused funds will be utilised to grow the team, scale the business and build new products.
Khosla Ventures had earlier invested an undisclosed sum in Vahan’s seed round. Along with Khosla ventures this round also saw participation from Airtel, Shakti VC (led by former google executive Keval Desai with Eric Schmidt and Michael Dell as LP’s) Pioneer fund, Spike ventures, Vijay Shekhar Sharma (CEO, Paytm) among others. Vahan has been previously backed by marquee names such as Y combinator, Founders fund and many former and current Google and Flipkart executives.
Vahan currently places 7000+ blue-collar workers across 200 cities every month in gig economy jobs and is on track to become India’s largest blue collar recruitment platform in the next year or so. Starting as a recruitment only business, Vahan has now built capabilities around end-to-end workforce management or staffing thereby providing a comprehensive solution to employers.
The startup has built tools, including an AI driven bot on WhatsApp helping to recruit workers at large scale and velocity to try and save them from exploitation by the middlemen.
After the fundraise founder and CEO of Vahan, Madhav Krishna said “We will continue to leverage our deep expertise in building large businesses using technology to take the company to next orbit of growth. Our goal is to ensure that previously underserved blue-collar workers get access to opportunities across jobs, financial services and upskilling. Our ambition is to make 1 billion placements over the next 10 years."
India coming off the pandemic has over 250 million blue collar workers. The highest demand for the blue-collar workforce is expected from the logistics and e-commerce sectors as building efficient delivery channels is important for online businesses. Vahan’s client list includes Zomato, Flipkart, Uber, Swiggy, Rapido and Grofers.
Copyright©2021 Living Media India Limited. For reprint rights: Syndications Today


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Video: Ferrari celebrates 8m Facebook fans, Top Gear style
Ferrari has hit 8,000,000 official Facebook fans, so to celebrate, it sent a 458 Italia out to its famous Fiorano test track and had it do a bit of drawing.
There's a video of the feat below. We know it seems a bit pointless, but anyone with an iota of appreciation for skilled driving will be fairly gobsmacked.
It's shamefully Top Gear...though having said that, when Top Gear reached 10,000,000 Facebook fans, it did this. We can't see Ferrari doing the same thing to one of its cars, should it reach the same milestone.
In other Ferrari news, the company has also reached half a million fans on Google+, the social networking site that is to Facebook what Linux is to Windows. In fact, it was news to us that Google+ had that many users.
Here's Ferrari's Facebook page, if you're not already a fan. Don't go there before watching the video below, though...


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Leaders from different industries have gathered at the first China International Import Expo, which opened in Shanghai on Nov. 5, to share their insights on trade, business, and economics.
He Xiaopeng, chairman of the Chinese electric vehicle startup Xpeng Motors, welcomed a visit from top Chinese tech leaders to the auto maker's new headquarters in Guangzhou on July 18.
Xiaomi debuted on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange today with opening and closing prices lower than expected.
According to the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (SEHK) today, Xiaomi has officially submitted their IPO application documents. Xiaomi is expected to become the first company listed in the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited with a dual-class share structure.
On April 28, Leijun, CEO of Xiaomi Inc. published an internal letter stating that Zhou Guangping and Huang Jiangji, two co-founders of Xiaomi, have resigned from their positions. According to the letter, the two co-founders “chose a new way of life” for personal reasons and decided to resign from their duties in the company.
On the morning of April 18, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun, together with Xiaomi co-founder Liu De, senior vice president Wang Xiang, general manager of Xiaomi India Manu Jain and local Indian colleagues, inaugurated Xiaomi India's new headquarters in a southern city of India.
According to Hong Kong Economic Times, Xiaomi is expected to become one of Hong Kong's first listed companies featuring “same shares with different rights”, and will submit application for going listed in Hong Kong as early as the beginning of May.
Yesterday, the official MIUI Weibo account announced that there will be news released this morning, and the following morning, the official Weibo account of Xiaomi mobile announced that there will be a Xiaomi Mi mobile phone product launch at Wuhan University on April 25.
Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi, confirmed through Weibo that Xiaomi has invested in Black Shark, a gaming phone brand.
On March 5, National People's Congress (NPC) representative Lei Jun said in an interview that the dual-class shares implemented in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange is favorable towards internet companies, and thus technology innovators are likely to list their companies in Hong Kong.
Xiaomi is currently preparing for its much-anticipated IPO, and the company will start selling smartphone products in the U.S. as early as this year.
On March 4, Lei Jun participated in the first session of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) in 2018 as a member of the Beijing delegation. Lei Jun put forward two suggestions on how Chinese private enterprises could build up brands overseas under the “One Belt One Road” Initiative.
On February 19, Xiaomi opened its first authorized store in the Philippines and attracted more than 2000 people to the store.
Xiaomi held its 2018 annual meeting on February 7. Company founder Lei Jun said 2017 was "the year of the reverse and breakthrough”. In October 2017, Xiaomi’s revenue exceeded 100 billion yuan ($15.88 billion). It took Xiaomi seven years to reach this level, which could be compared to Alibaba, Tencent and Huawei.
When talking about Lei Jun, people are as likely to mention his role in Xiaomi as his history as an investor. Lei Jun has already invested in numerous Internet companies. In 2018, Xiaomi is continuing its path to a public listing. 2018 is on track to be the "capital year" for Lei Jun.


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Brexit negotiations have been put on red alert after Europe and Britain’s car industries warned a no-deal scenario could spark a €110bn (£101.5bn) black hole in trade over the next five years.
It comes as trade talks have progressed to their most delicate stage yet –– the UK government’s internal market bill enters its second reading this afternoon in the House of Commons.
Meanwhile, the EU has claimed this bill violates the withdrawal agreement signed by both sides back in October 2019, with chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier yesterday tweeting that the current arrangement “is not a threat to the integrity of the UK”.
But 23 auto industry associations, including Britain’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) joined forces in a statement published today.
It called on negotiations to secure a deal or risk tariffs making vehicles more expensive.
Figures show as many as 3m vehicles could cease to enter manufacture, costing EU production sites €57.7bn and £52.8bn for UK plants.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said the figures painted a “bleak picture of the devastation that would follow a ‘no deal’ Brexit”.
UK car industry trends show it has suffered considerably amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Only 197 cars were manufactured during April 2020.
And in the first six months of the year just 381,357 cars were built, the lowest levels since 1954.
In July, only 85,000 UK vehicles were manufactured, causing a 20 per cent drop off on the previous year.
This year also saw a drop of nearly half of new passenger car registration sales in Britain.
Today’s joint statement from UK and EU auto industry associations serve as a reminder for what lies at stake with the current Brexit negotiations.
Eric-Mark Huitema, ACEA Director General, said: “The stakes are high for the EU auto industry – we absolutely must have an ambitious EU-UK trade agreement in place by January. Otherwise our sector – already reeling from the COVID crisis – will be hit hard by a double whammy.”


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Ford global collision business and strategy manager Jennifer Boyer on Monday delivered more insight into Ford’s upcoming adoption of MyPriceLink, including providing a target launch date of Nov. 1
For “years and years,” parts prices had been delivered through a “price tape” — a file of list prices disseminated by Ford to the marketplace, according to Boyer. The tapes were released monthly, and no prices could be changed until it was time to release the next month’s file, she said.
“It’s very inflexible,” Boyer said.
Given technological advancements and Ford’s dedication to innovation, “it’s really time for us to modernize the way we bring pricing to the market,” Boyer said.
MyPriceLink allows an automaker to adjust component list prices as frequently as they’d like and have the new prices appear seamlessly before collision repairers using any of the three major estimating systems — possibly enabling greater competitiveness with alternative parts. The system was pioneered in 2015 and is still in use today by General Motors, which developed the software with current owner OEConnection.
In addition to offering Ford “much greater flexibility,” MyPriceLink allowed Ford to “protect the information to a greater degree,” according to Boyer. The “price tape” was available to too wide an audience, she said.
Boyer confirmed the list prices will flow into estimating systems seamlessly, as was the case in 2015 when GM adopted it. “It’s really fairly transparent for repairers,” she said.
Ford has been testing the system ahead of the Nov. 1 target date, and “it’s gone very well,” she said. The OEM has delivered a dynamic price over-the-air.
The program would focus on collision parts, not mechanical ones, according to Boyer. Asked if Lincoln parts would be excluded, she said, “brand is not an attribute.”
Asked how many parts would receive such dynamic pricing, Boyer said the system offered Ford “great flexibility.”
“That could adjust over time,” Boyer said. She said she didn’t have a specific number.
We asked if Ford would launch MyPriceLink with just a few parts fluctuating dynamically and grow the portfolio over time. Boyer replied that that the system was flexible and noted that once Ford made a decision to include a part, there was “no real going back,” for the price tape would list a $0 value.
She also said, “It’ll fluctuate depending on what our approach is at any given time.”
Asked how often the market would see a part’s price fluctuate, Boyer said MyPriceLink allows changes “as frequently as we like” but for now would only reveal it to be “more dynamic than once a month.”
Boyer said MyPriceLink would complement how Ford competed on the market today and not replace any of its existing programs.
She said she didn’t view it as a catalyst for price erosion.
“We’re very excited for launching the technology,” Boyer said. “… We look forward to putting it in place.”
Featured image: Ford global collision business and strategy manager Jennifer Boyer is shown. (Provided by Ford)


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In a fun photo shoot, two spirited women raid a guy’s closet and churn out looks that could set fashion week ramps on fire Starring: Designers Nitya Bajaj and Nida Mahmood
A t the core, #Ungender is an emotion that reiterates every individual’s right to the freedom of expression, in what they wear, how they speak and how they choose to think of themselves.
AISHWARYA SUBRAMANYAM (inset), the much-loved editor of Elle India till just last week, explains that Ungender is a movement that aims at breaking down society’s ideas of how men and women should behave. “Ungender is basically the acceptance of anyone on the gender spectrum – man, woman or a transgender. It is about gender equality and by that I am referring to all genders, not just man and woman,” she says.
Elle India did an #Ungender issue in February 2017 with Nepali transgender model Anjali Lama on the cover (also see page 17).


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DH Lifelabs: The Air Purificator For A Stress Free Environment
DH Lifelabs: an innovator in air purification and non-toxic home goods’ tech, that’s committed to improving indoor air – through air purifiers, humidifiers, and surface cleaners.
DH Lifelabs’ line of air purifiers – brings the benefits of nature’s air, indoors.
The technology releases plasma ions into the air – removing 99.95% of airborne pollutants – creating a cleaner, fresher environment, that’s reminiscent of a forest or a waterfall – aiding in stress reduction.
Using DH Lifelabs’ air purification products – helps to maintain a cleaner indoor environment, with benefits for all – in particular, to tackle stress and anxiety within customers’ homes.
“By seamlessly integrating elements of nature, science, and technology into our products, we’re addressing a common, yet significant challenge for many,” explained DH Lifelabs’ Global Vice President of Marketing, Chris Coleman.
“Nature and science working together can play a vital role in enhancing our overall well being. Our products demonstrate our commitment to improving indoor air quality, whilst promoting healthier environments in homes and businesses across the UK,” said Chris.
DH Lifelabs officially launched in the UK on January 16th 2023, and in the US on April 3rd. Founder Tony Wang (the current Chairman of NVC International) is also working on launching his business into the Japanese market.
As well as this, the company is committed to making the world a better place, by creating eco-friendly products – that promote health and wellness, whilst also minimising environmental impact.
Find out more here: https://dhlifelabs.co.uk


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Given the strong post war upturn in Sri Lanka, BMW, the world’s leading premium automobile manufacturer, is bracing for a three digit market.
“We have already seen an encouraging uptake since the end of the war as well as recent reduction in import tariffs. In tandem with higher socio-economic growth and Sri Lankans aspiring for world class products, we are confident of the market having the potential to expand to three digits from the current single level,” BMW Group Sales and Marketing Vice President Importer Markets Graeme Grieve and BMW Asia Managing Director Johannes Seibert told the Daily FT recently in Singapore.
Speaking on the sidelines of BMW World in Singapore, the motor brand’s largest showcase of innovation, design and heritage, the duo said that Sri Lanka was an important emerging market in Asia, which overall has been driving strong sales growth.
BMW together with its Sri Lankan sole agents Prestige Automobile Chairman H. Reuter and Managing Director Gehan Siribaddana last week firmed up the 2011 Sri Lanka action plan, which will aim at leveraging the post-war upturn best for the brand.
They said that customer feedback in Sri Lanka for BMW range has been excellent. Surveys have found BMW as the most valuable brand automobile brand whilst in the luxury sphere it is young and dynamic.
Grieve and Seibert said that agents play a critical role for the success of BMW, which operates 24 production facilities in 13 countries and has a global sales network in over 140 countries. BMW remains the world’s best-selling premium automobile brand both for August and the year to the end of August, and was able to expand its lead over the relevant competitors
“Sri Lanka has remained a longstanding market and Prestige Automobile does multiple functions such as importing, distribution, retail and service hence we will continue to extend our strong support,” they added.
The optimism on Sri Lanka comes at a time when larger Asia has remained dynamic. Asia contributes to 15% of global sales for BMW Group which includes BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. Grieve said Asia, remaining resilient despite the global recession, has helped the Group. Five years ago Asia only accounted for 9.5% of BMW Group sales.
Not only in Asia but globally BMW has remain dynamic. Whilst year to date BMW sales have grown by 30%, in August BWM reported better than expected sales worldwide whilst Asia remains the bright spot.
BMW brand not only sold 16.3% more automobiles year-on-year – for the first time, it also delivered more vehicles than in August 2007 (+3.6%) and 2008 (+3.1%). Asia and China in particular was the most powerful force driving its sales growth once again in August. The Group has sold over 106,000 BMW and MINI vehicles so far this year in China, which is more than in the whole of 2009.
“We are growing in all markets,” Grieve and Seibert noted, adding that consumers were fast becoming more aware of the sheer driving pleasure of BMW powered by the excellence in engineering, design, and quality in addition to the cutting edge ‘efficient dynamics’ of BMW.
The holding of BMW World in Singapore, the first of its kind outside BMW’s birthplace – Munich, is also a fitting tribute to Asia as well as reflects the importance and significance. The event also coincided with the silver jubilee of BMW in Asia. Whilst Europe and North American provides the lion share of BMW sales, the two company officials acknowledged that China and India, the growth drivers of dynamic Asia, are the most exciting markets.
The BMW World Singapore heralded the Asian premiere of the all new BMW X3, as well the much-awaited debut of BMW M3 GTS. It also offered a glimpse into the future with BMW concept cars and a preview of the 2011 BMW Lifestyle Collection. The show was part of what Grieve and Seibert described as “significant investment” BMW is making to grow in the Asian market.
As per August data, sales of BMW brand vehicles rose sharply by 16.3% to 88,007 units (prev. yr. 75,699). A total of 775,262 vehicles were delivered to customers in the year to the end of August (prev. yr. 679,913 / +14.0%).
BMW maintains its high-value model mix, with retail gains for the large model series in particular in August: Sales of the BMW 7 Series, for instance, increased 52.8% to 6,051 (prev. yr. 3,961) units in the month under review.
The BMW 5 Series also reported sales growth of 24.9% (16,175 / prev. yr. 12,948). It was envisaged that the market launch of the new BMW 5 Series Touring would give the 5 Series another major boost from September onwards; orders for the new model are already well above plan.
The X models also reported higher volumes: Sales of the BMW X5/X6 models climbed 36.4% to 12,707 units (prev. yr. 9,316). Although the successor model is just around the corner, X3 sales increased 10.3% to 3,936 units (prev. yr. 3,570).
The BMW Group achieved a global sales volume of approximately 1.29 million automobiles and over 87,000 motorcycles for the 2009 financial year. Revenues for 2009 totalled euro 50.68 billion. At 31 December 2009, the company employed a global workforce of approximately 96,000 associates.


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Rubber futures have risen above 1,000 US cents/kg, the highest since July 2022, driven by expectations of increased demand linked to anticipated rate easing by global central banks in 2024. The rise affects the tyre industry and producers of rubber products such as footwear, bearings, and rollers, potentially impacting their profit margins due to higher raw material costs.
The Sheen Is Back
Platinum futures climbed above $950, reaching a six-month high, driven by a weaker dollar and expectations of sooner-than-expected interest rate cuts by major banks in 2024, following weak economic data from the U.S. and Europe. The metal's price is also supported by anticipated supply deficits for 2023 and 2024, with a projected shortfall of 1.07 million ounces this year, according to the World Platinum Investment Council. Used in making detergents, fertilsers, plastics, explosives, and acids, as well as in jewellery, higher platinum prices may reduce demand and impact sales.
A Smooth High
Butter prices have risen by 388 euro/tonne, a 7.53% increase since early 2023, according to the contract for difference (CFD) tracking the commodity's benchmark market. Historically peaking at 7525.00 in April 2022, butter prices are currently at a record high due to reduced production leading to supply constraints, especially as demand surges during the holiday season. Incidentally, India's import of milk products soared by over 1,000% to $4.77 billion, coinciding with a surge in export of fat items such as clarified butter (ghee) to record levels, propelled by high global prices.


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The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies and services, which have kept trade flowing even as movement has been restricted.
This has highlighted the need to modernize trade rules and reverse the trend of digital protectionism.
Modernizing digital trade rules will advance digital trade and create more jobs, human connections and creativity in the post-COVID world.
Globalization is under threat. Even before the pandemic, globalization was already struggling due to years of stagnation in trade growth and uncertainties at the World Trade Organization (WTO) due to US-China trade tensions. COVID-19 was another blow to the system. And the early departure of the WTO Director-General doesn’t help!


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Nokia responds to poor Lumia 800 sales claims: "Our best launch in recent history"
Pierre Ferragu, Bernstein Research analyst, started off the second round of criticism. Ferragu claims that his analysis of Google Trends found the amount of search “buzz” for the Lumia 800 was the same as that seen for the N8, a previous top shelf Nokia smartphone that saw limited sales. Widespread coverage of Ferragu’s findings have been blamed for a drop in Nokia share prices this week.
In responding to Ferragu’s claims, Nokia spokesman James Ethridge said, "Based on earliest data, the sales start of the Lumia 800 is the best ever first week of Nokia smart phone sales in the U.K. in recent history." He also indicated that according to Net Promoter Scores – a measure of how likely an owner is to recommend the product to a friend – the Lumia 800 is the most successful Nokia device in recent history.
The team from Espoo isn’t out of the thicket yet; as we reported yesterday, Pacific Crest analyst James Faucette downgraded sales expectations for the quarter, suggesting that Nokia may only ship half a million Lumia 800 units to retailers. That’s down sharply from the 2 million units originally forecast.
We think it might be a tad premature to write off any phone after a week or two of (unreleased) sales numbers. The phone hasn’t even hit the North American market. Yet it’s hard to deny that a continuing stream of bad news can only hurt the willingness of carriers to pick up the phone, and might decrease consumer demand in markets that are still waiting for its release.
What do you think – Is the Lumia 800 getting an unfair rap? Did Nokia misread the market? Sound off below.
source: MarketWatch via Symbian Freak


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By Mariam Mutooro
Due to disobedience of Government Guidelines, it is better to err on the side of caution than making a mistake and as such following additional measures are announced:1) Prohibit People to People movement including Private cars from April 01, 2020 till April 14th, 2020
2) shopping malls and arcades are suspended effective April 1st, 2020
3) All non-food stores/shops should be closed effective April 1st, 2020.
Food stores and shops selling agricultural inputs, pharmaceuticals will remain open
Consider, online shopping and home deliveries for groceries
4) Supermarkets should remain open with clear SOPs on minimizing infections within the supermarket
5) Established food markets in Kampala and other towns should continue to be open but with the social distancing taken into serious consideration (4meteres)
6) Sellers/Factory workers should however organize accommodation of staff at premises of work for 14 days… In other words stay close to your place of work.
If factories can’t implement this, they should suspend production for 14 days
7) Salons, lodges will be closed for 14 days effective April 1st, 2020
construction firms that can’t abide with the accommodation facilities should be shut down for 14 days
- 9) Essential services are: medical, banking, security, cleaning, garbage collection, fire brigade, KCCA staff, URA, télécommunications, UNRA, funeral services, utilities,
10) Cargo transportation by train, aeroplanes, lorries etc should continue but with only 3 persons supervised by Minister of works and transportation
11) Gatherings of more than 5 people prohibited down from prior guidelines of 10.
12) Except for cargo planes, lorries, pickups, from March 31st, 2020 at 19:00, there will be a curfew for all Ugandans.
13) RDC will give permission for emergency medical situations like childbirth etc
14) Government vehicles will be pooled at the district offices for use by the Health Officers
15) À fund in UDB will be set to accelerate import substitution and export promotion
16) Government will discuss with Banks, utilities on credit obligations by Ugandans during this period
17) Government Employees should stay home except UPDF, UPF, Utilities, Banks, and even then SOPs will be shared.
18) Government will distribute food (maize flour, beans, powder milk, salt, sugar) to the less advantaged communities after close identification
Opportunistic politicians distributing food will be arrested as they pose a health risk to the community and charged with attempted murder
19) Stop trying to take people to hospital, you may in the process of doing good be spreading the virus to the community
20) Contributions received: USD150, 000 from Elemyu (sp) from Nigeria and 2 jeeps from the Chinese in Mbale
21) let’s not lose people on account of indiscipliné; not washing hands, congregating in numbers, touching the soft parts of the face with unclean hands.


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Samsung will host an Unpacked event on January 17 focused on “Galaxy AI,” which likely means a mobile-focused launch with an emphasis on Galaxy smartphones and, presumably, the company will launch the S24 series.
“A revolutionary mobile experience is coming. Get ready to discover a new era full of possibilities with the latest Galaxy innovations, designed to transform how you live, connect, and create. The new Galaxy S series will set a higher standard for the most intelligent mobile experience yet,” Samsung says in a public announcement of the event.
“Experience the epic in everyday life like never before.”
The Unpacked event will be hosted in San Jose at the SAP Center, which is just down the road from Samsung’s biggest mobile competitors in Google and Apple. While a Galaxy S24 smartphone launch is not guaranteed, most presume it will be the focus of the presentation. Samsung launched the S23 and S23 Ultra smartphones in a similar time frame last year at an event in San Francisco.
While what exactly is being announced wasn’t revealed, Samsung has still set up a page that lets interested parties pre-order “the newest phone from Galaxy” in a not so subtle all-but-confirmation of a new flagship handheld.
Samsung is touting “Zoom with Galaxy AI” as a coming feature in the new Galaxy phone in two very quick promotional videos on the pre-order page as well as in the Unpacked announcement video above.
Two months ago, Samsung announced a new sensor-based AI called ISOCELL Zoom Anyplace which it said unlocked several new capabilities when combined with the company’s latest 200-megapixel sensor.
It allows the camera to quickly find a fast-moving subject and follow it inside of a high-resolution frame, unlocks dual recording of both the zoomed-in area and the full frame of view, and provides the ability to zoom in and out in any direction without changing the angle of view. It’s unclear if that last capability extends across the multiple cameras that smartphones are typically equipped with but if so, it would solve a problem that PetaPixel‘s Jordan Drake noticed with the latest iPhone.
Samsung is hyper-focused on sensor-based AI according to reports out of Korea and the “Galaxy AI” this year’s Unpacked promises is likely the first big step in that direction.


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LOOK: The Most Invisible Way to Cover Dark Circles and Acne, According to a Makeup Artist|Read more »
Tag: ad campaigns
Time for a trip down memory lane!
Filipino fashion megalabel Bench is marking its 30th anniversary this 2017, and what better way to celebrate than by looking back on some of the brand's most memorable moments? Below, we give you seven iconic, unforgettable ad campaigns that douse you in
"His subtle sensuality is perfect for Balenciaga."
Sam Smith and Balenciaga have announced a collaboration for the Men's Fall/Winter 2015 campaign, and released a series of black-and-white photographs and a full length video of Sam, both shot by Josh Olins, which the 'Stay With Me' hitmaker revealed is "a
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Are The New Faces Of Balmain
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are the new faces of Balmain.The 37-year-old rapper and his reality TV star wife, 34, who are close friends of the Parisian brand's creative director Olivier Rousteing, star together in the label's Spring/Summer 2015 men's campaign, entitled
Nicki Minaj Is The New Face Of Roberto Cavalli
Nicki Minaj is the new face of Roberto Cavalli.The "Anaconda" rapper was chosen by the Italian label's founder, Roberto Cavalli, to star in his eponymous brand's Spring/Summer 2015 campaign as she "embodies the exuberant and modern femininity of the Cavalli woman."The 74-year-old
Naomi Campbell And Jourdan Dunn Team Up For Burberry
UPDATED 11:13amNaomi Campbell and Jourdan Dunn are the "perfect" stars of Burberry's new Spring/Summer 2015 campaign.The two British models will front the fashion brand's next advertising push and have been shot by Mario Testino for the print and billboard ads.It is the
Madonna Is The Face of Versace Spring/Summer 2015
Versace has confirmed that the Queen of Pop, Madonna, is returning as the face of their Spring/Summer 2015 campaign.The campaign photos were shot by fashion photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. Perched on the edge of a chair, "Madonna appears to have obligingly followed the
Meet the gifted-child-turned-photography-genius who took the fashion industry by storm.
There’s more to photography than just clicking and shooting, and this is something we can ponder on as we begin zooming in on the country’s greatest talents behind the cameras. Starting off with one of the most notable photographers in the local
We'll never really know but we could try and guess, right?
July and August are such awkward months, don’t you agree? Clearly, summer is over but we haven’t really transitioned into “fall” yet. Nonetheless, international favorites have already released new promotional materials for their Fall/Winter collections that are clip out- and oogle-worthy. We


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Prepare to be captivated by this stunning display of the new 2015 Rolex models at the Baselworld show! Although this article incorrectly calls the new black ceramic bezel of their latest Yacht-Master model “rubber”, our previous article has the correct information. The new platinum Day Date in 40 mm has a stunning and sophisticated teal face, and the new Diamond Cellini is just breathtaking.
Also new to the collection is a 39mm Rainbow Ladies Datejust Pearlmaster, with an array of different colored face.
Read the full story here :: The New 2015 Rolex Collection


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Freight-services startup Flexport Inc. is stepping off the cloud and into the real world. The San Francisco-based firm, which helps customers arrange freight shipments online, will open its first warehouse on Aug. 1 near the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
NYS Entity Status
NYS Filing Date
OCTOBER 01, 2013
NYS DOS ID#
NYS Entity Type
DOMESTIC BUSINESS CORPORATION
2013 - CARDPOINT MERCHANT SERVICES INC.
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- Wells Fargo’s latest legal issue involves credit card fees
By Kevin Dugan - Tuesday Aug 8, 2017
Another day, another class-action lawsuit against Wells Fargo. The latest legal salvo claims the bank headed by Chief Executive Tim Sloan has been ripping off small businesses for years by burying fees and misleading merchants about how much they have to pay for credit card processing services. Wells Fargo’s merchant services unit, a joint venture...


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SOUTH AFRICA: Union welcomes agreement on apparel wages
South Africa's textile workers union has welcomed a new agreement by the country's government that sets a minimum wage for workers and imposes penalties for non-compliance.
The agreement, passed by Minister of Labour Mildred Oliphant, became effective this week and means that every clothing worker in South Africa can enjoy the protection of legislated minimum terms and conditions of employment, particularly up-to-date compulsorily guaranteed minimum wage levels. These were negotiated under the auspices of the National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Manufacturing Industry of South Africa.
The new agreement fixes the technical defects which caused the Pietermaritzburg High Court last year to set aside the 2010 clothing industry wage agreement.
The Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers' Union (SACTWU) said the agreement was a "ground-breaking victory".
"It is a solid indication that our current government cares about protecting the bargaining council-negotiated conditions of employment rights of clothing workers. This is a significant act of compassion for tens of thousands of workers in vulnerable industries, especially in light of the destructive onslaught against our industry wage agreements by organisations such as the Free Market Foundation."
- China tightens on corporate social responsibility
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- Outdoor industry's future must be more inclusive
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- Adidas "Reebok sale" would be admittance of defeat
- New JC Penney CEO “credible but no solution”
- UPDATE: A&F appoints Horowitz to head Hollister
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The new Edge logo will appear across all platforms in the coming weeks. The Edge icon was unveiled by Microsoft more than four years ago. The earlier logo resembled the past versions of Edge browser – the Internet Explorer. The new logo that Microsoft is introducing was discovered as part of a new surfing mini game hidden inside the latest Canary version of Edge. The logo looks like a wave and follows a similar Fluent Design style that is introduced in new Office icons.
Edge logo spells out the letter E in a fluent style. It is more modern than the earlier Explorer-resembling logo. Microsoft is breaking the tradition of following old-design of logos. The open source Chromium technology-powered internet browser is likely to improve the adoption of the Edge browser. The new logo resembles the new change.
Microsoft has explained how it introduced the new logo to its employees. The new icon was revealed in an elaborated Easter egg hunt. As part of the activity Microsoft employees posted cryptic clues to a series of puzzles and images. The participants were asked to render an Edge icon as a 3D object. The model code was hidden in an image, which led to a series of words discovered in seven clues.
The secret edge surfing game is very similar to SkiFree, a classic skiing game that Microsoft had launched with Entertainment Pack 3 in 1991. You could use WASD keys to navigate and avoid obstacles. Microsoft will release the final version of Edge Chromium browser soon. The new logo could be introduced publicly at Ignite conference next week.


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Florida’s Decarbonized Future: Net Zero Power System and Net Zero Economy Can Drive Economic Growth
Miami, Florida – March 11, 2024 — The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Florida, with the expertise of AECOM and Cambridge Econometrics, has published a first-of-its kind economic study on the impacts of decarbonizing Florida’s economy: Economic Benefits of Decarbonization in Florida. The report looks at two decarbonization scenarios—achieving a power grid with net zero emissions by 2035 (Net Zero Power System) and achieving net zero emissions economy-wide by 2050 (Net Zero Economy). The decarbonization of our economy—reducing greenhouse gas emissions (including carbon dioxide) in manufacturing, transport, energy and other parts of our economy—can drive vast job growth and prosperity for Florida. Decarbonization will expand and create higher-paying jobs, offering opportunities for workers of all skills and education levels, as well as lower consumer costs.
Economic Benefits of Decarbonization in Florida estimates the investment required and the benefits of two decarbonization scenarios: a Net Zero Power System by 2035 and a Net Zero Economy by 2050. The study finds that investment in a Net Zero Economy results in a state economy that is nearly 2% larger than the baseline in 2050. Reduced spending on electricity and private transportation will allow consumers to redirect spending in other sectors, supporting economic growth.
“The report findings are clear,” said Greg Knecht, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy in Florida. “Florida is already making progress in clean energy, and Floridians are eager for the economic opportunities that decarbonization offers. Decarbonizing Florida’s economy will ultimately position the Sunshine State to continue to grow as a hub for innovation and technological advancement, increasing Floridians’ quality of life and economic prospects.”
Job Creation and Workforce Development: Decarbonization offers higher-paying jobs at all skill and education levels. The report projects job impacts for 71 individual sectors and nine aggregated sectors including electricity, construction, industry, services, transport, agriculture, extraction, other utilities and government. With a decarbonized economy, there will be an increased demand for specific skills and knowledge relative to the current economy—such as installation, mechanical skills, programming, design, and operation control and monitoring.
As reported in the United States Energy and Employment Report for 2023, the demand for jobs in the clean energy sector has seen a nearly 4% increase nationwide, while jobs that are related to zero emission vehicles experienced a remarkable 20+% employment growth from 2021 to 2022. The electricity sector, which sees significant long term job growth in the Net Zero Economy scenario, has one of the highest shares of jobs that pay above a living wage—with 71% paying above a living wage. The transport sector experiences significant long term job growth in the Net Zero Economy with a projected nearly 25,000 more jobs in 2050, relative to the modeled baseline in that year.
Large scale deployment and installation of new clean energy, particularly solar capacity, is also projected to increase employment in the construction sector. The report projects that with the continued transition to a Net Zero Power System, construction can experience consistent job growth in the short and long term in every Florida county. Nearly a third of construction jobs pay a living wage and three quarters of construction jobs have low education barriers to entry.
Consumer Energy Savings, Increased In-State Spending: The report finds that the lower consumer costs and better opportunities afforded by decarbonization will catalyze increased consumer spending, including in-state economic activity.
With the Net Zero Power System and Net Zero Economy scenarios, the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) will continually decline for solar, and overall, reduce consumer electric prices. Reduced electricity prices and lower costs of private transportation allow consumers and businesses to increase spending in other sectors.
Combined with increased consumer spending from greater employment, consumer spending across the economy creates positive feedback loops, driving broader economic growth. Local consumers will spend most of the money on more goods and services, a substantial proportion of which will be sourced from within Florida, leading to positive multiplier effects as this creates new economic activity and jobs across the consumer service sectors, and upstream through supply chains.
“Florida can have it all: clean energy, a thriving economy and strong workforce,” said Lynetta Usher Griner, Secretary and Treasurer of Usher Land & Timber Inc. and member of the report’s Technical Advisory Committee. “From silviculture to agriculture, transport to manufacturing – there are countless opportunities for Florida businesses to adopt and take advantage of opportunities to decarbonize their operations and invest in their greatest asset: their employees. Florida’s future is bright, and our state continues to be a profitable place to do business, especially as we advance clean energy markets and infrastructure.”
Florida’s Prime Position for Decarbonization: Economic Benefits of Decarbonization in Florida confirms that Florida is uniquely suited to benefit from Net Zero Power Systems and a Net Zero Economy, showing that we are already strong in sectors that are anticipated to grow with decarbonization. With nearly 160,000 clean energy jobs as of 2021, Florida is at the forefront of clean energy employment in the United States. Year-round sunshine has allowed the state to add more solar capacity in the first half of 2023 than any other state. In 2022, Florida had the second-highest number of registered EVs in the country and 5% of our electric generation came from solar power. Continued investments in decarbonization will keep Florida on a path of innovation and prosperity.
TNC in Florida is committed to sharing the report and its findings with government bodies, businesses and partners to foster a collaborative effort towards a prosperous future. Economic Benefits of Decarbonization in Florida was formulated by The Nature Conservancy in partnership with AECOM and a Technical Advisory Committee over the course of two years, funded by the generous contribution of Jane’s Trust Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, VoLo Foundation and Wells Fargo Foundation.
About The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters, and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably, and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 76 countries and territories: 37 by direct conservation impact and 39 through partners, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter. In Florida, since 1961, with support from our members, we have helped protect more than 1.2 million acres of vulnerable lands and waters across the state. We own and manage more than 52,000 acres in 25 Conservancy preserves in Florida. nature.org/florida, facebook.com/NatureConservancyFL, twitter.com/nature_florida, instagram.com/natureflorida/


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The Last of Us TV series cast revealed
Joel and Ellie - will be played by two famous actors who you might remember from other popular TV projects.
The Last of Us Part II is getting Grounded game mode
The game will get a new hardcore mode.
Check out this fresh The Last of Us Part II gameplay
20 minutes of glorious The Last of Us Part 2 gameplay!
Naughty Dog has something to say about The Last of Us Part II Leaks
DO NOT SHARE THE LEAKS and keep calm...
The Last of Us Part II has been delayed indefinitely
The team wants to make sure that everyone gets to play The Last of Us Part II around the same time.
The Last of Us being adapted into TV series
Will the TV series will be different from The Last of Us video game?
Naughty Dog is working on a multiplayer game
The new job listing by Naughty Dog suggests that the company is working on a new online experience.
The Last of Us Part II has a new release date
The game will come out on May 29th.
Free PlayStation Plus games for October announced
In October we're getting even bigger names!
The Last of Us Part II will launch in February
Ellie and Joel will return on February 21st.
Naughty Dog is shutting down PS3 multiplayer for their games
Naughty Dog is giving players a proper heads-up before the shutdown.
Top new PS4 games coming out in 2019
Let's take a look at the most anticipated new PS4 games coming out in the near future.


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The Organisers of Cowes Classics Week are delighted to announce that NMS-Adaptive has joined the event as technology supplier. NMS will be providing a bespoke text messaging service during the event to enable the organisers to keep in contact with competitors with important event information.
New Media Software specialises in the development and support of leading-edge technology and affordable communication software products for the SME and Mid Markets. This includes desktop applications for screen-popping and SMS, call recording, outbound dialling and online applications including chat and web forensics.
The Adaptive team, led by Managing Director Phill McGowan, who is a regular competitor at Cowes Classics Week, are the winner of several prestigious business and technology awards including Comms Business "Best New Product" award and institute of Sales and Marketing Management Rising Star BESMA for "Best Use of Sales Automation". Phill has been developing technology product ideas into profitable businesses since 1992. He led the design and the development of the Adaptive Suite as a range of call-centre style technology products for the SME market with a focus on usability and affordability. By partnering with established SME sales channels, Phill has built an industry-recognised brand for quality, affordability and service.


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There are about 4,500 online dating companies, according to a report by the market research company IBISWorld, but the majority are tiny. The largest player in the field is the Match Group, with 51 dating sites; over the last few years alone it acquired such high-profile companies as Tinder and Plenty of Fish.
“It’s never been cheaper to start a dating site and never been more expensive to grow one,” said Mark Brooks, a consultant for the internet dating industry who also runs Online Personals Watch. Part of the problem, he said, is that 70 percent of internet dating in the United States is now on mobile.
Dating apps usually start by offering their services completely free to bring in new users. There are then two ways for the services to make money: advertising and turning free users into paying ones.
“It used to be 10 percent of those who registered converted to paid,” Mr. Brooks said. “Now it’s more like 2 to 3 percent.”
Advertising can be tough to get, said Tom Homer, editor of the website Dating Site Reviews, and on a mobile device it does not pay much because there is less real estate available than on regular websites.
Other tensions are pulling at the online dating industry. Do consumers want to find a special someone or just anyone? Internet dating used to mean filling out questionnaires to match interests and culture. With sites like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge, it is all about who is nearby and available.
Some of the difference, of course, is generational. Younger people are more likely to be interested in casual dating and more likely to use mobile devices for dating, the IBISWorld report states.
Alina Tugend, “For Online Dating Sites, a Bumpy Road to Love”, The New York Times (25 December 2016), BU3.


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Azerbaijan tourism board sets sights on doubling visitors in five years
For many countries, tourism is an essential industry, driving economies and supplying revenue and jobs for thousands of its inhabitants. Azerbaijan, which was formerly a part of the enormous Soviet Union, has recently begun to reap these benefits to a very high degree.
In 2017, Azerbaijan enjoyed receiving $1.3 bn dollars in spending from tourists, which catapulted it to a spot among the most rapidly growing destinations in the industry. The Azerbaijan Tourism Board has its sights set on far higher numbers, however, as it aims to double the amount of people visiting the country by 2023. To accomplish this lofty goal, it has implemented a new tool branded the ‘reveal lens’, which is coupled with their slogan, ‘Take Another Look’.
The Azerbaijan Tourism Board says these marketing tools effectively align with and promote Azerbaijan’s identity as a nation, reflecting one of its most enticing strengths - eclecticism. The reveal lens, which is composed of a half circle overlapping a full circle, plays to this theme heavily on the board’s website. It often contrasts two opposing locations’ images to showcase the breadth of potential experiences available to a visitor, such as a lush summer landscape and immaculately white ski slopes.
The slogan encapsulates Azerbaijan’s status as an up-and-comer, because despite the recent success, they still must compete with the world’s most established tourism hubs. If a tourist is willing to ‘Take Another Look’ and seek out destinations that aren’t immediately recognisable, the board is says they will find a wealth of amazing opportunities in the country which otherwise would have been passed over.
This branding commitment to diversity is overarching on the Azerbaijan Tourism Board’s website beyond just the new logo and slogan, as upon visiting the website’s ‘Discover’ tab, the user is greeted with a whopping 10 options of activity categories to choose from, ranging from gastronomy to shopping, and nature to beach rest. It is clear the board is convinced if users open their minds, the possibilities in Azerbaijan are endless.


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Mobile Internet users in rural India will touch 53 million by June this year.
The Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) along with IMRB International has released the 'Mobile Internet in India 2014'. According to the report, the number of mobile internet users in India is likely to touch 213 million by June 2015 from the 173 million in December 2014.
The report also finds that mobile Internet users in rural India is set to grow at an impressive rate of 33 per cent from October'14 to reach 49 million by March 2015 and 53 million by June 2015. The maximum growth will be seen in urban India, which is likely to see 143 million mobile internet users by March 2015 and 160 million by June 2015.
According to the report, the average monthly mobile bill has increased by 13 per cent to Rs 439. Significantly, the proportion of this amount spend on mobile Internet was 45 per cent last year and has now increased to 54 per cent this year. As compared to last year, the average monthly spend on mobile Internet has gone up by 36 per cent to reach Rs 235. The report also says that 33 per cent of the Mobile Internet users avail rental plans with limited downloads, followed by 21 per cent who subscribe to unlimited rental plans. Limited download rental plans are more common across the demographic segments except for non-working women.
Among non-working women, 26 per cent access rental mobile Internet plans that allow unlimited access to the Internet. A similar plan is also availed by one-fifth of college going students and working women. Meanwhile, almost one-fourth of the school going kids and one-fifth of the non-working women use mobile Internet on a Pay per Site basis. Nearly 40 per cent of young men, working women as well as older men access mobile Internet plans which entail limited access to Internet.


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Calavo Growers announces sustainability strategy
Avocado company Calavo Growers is taking action on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues with a renewed sustainability strategy and 2030 goals.
The new course of action will place emphasis on four key areas: climate action, social responsibility, sustainable agriculture and sound governance.
Calavo President and CEO Brian Kocher said that ESG strategies are a priority for the company’s employees and investors.
"By publicly committing to these goals, Calavo is announcing that we're ready to meet the challenges ahead and committed to doing our part to transform the food industry into something truly sustainable,” said the executive.
Calavo expects to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2027. Food waste is another critical point, with the company projecting a 50% reduction also by 2030 (against a 2022 baseline).
For its sustainable agriculture scheme, the firm will work to ensure 100% of its growers are engaged in Calavo’s sustainability program and also migrate at least 50% of packaging components to recycled content by 2030.
To support the new strategy and goals, Calavo is revamping its sustainability reporting cycle to align with its fiscal year, to better integrate ESG and financial disclosures.
The company also is launching a new internal ESG data management system, which will aid in providing auditable, verifiable ESG metrics and reporting history.


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Will Staples sell
Exploring asset sales to
win FTC antitrust review
As we revealed from the outset, Staples is exploring the sale of assets to help resolve US antitrust officials’ concerns about its planned takeover of Office Depot. Perhaps Depot's toxic contract division?
Please read full article by subscribing here


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MONTREAL, July 2021 – As proud sponsor and official Pizza of the Montreal Canadiens, Pizza Pizza has pledged free slices for the city of Montreal on July 14th. The brand hopes to celebrate the Montreal Canadiens tremendous season and valiant playoff effort with a Pizza Pizza Party for Montrealers alike.
On July 14th, between 11am – 3pm ET, fans will have the opportunity to grab 1 free slice of pepperoni or cheese at Montreal Pizza Pizza locations by showing they have the Pizza Pizza app downloaded.
The Pizza Pizza Party is in honour of a prolific playoff performance that showcased emerging young talent, podium pizza celebrations and epic series comebacks. The event is to also celebrate the team’s bright future. As proud sponsor of the club since 2007, Pizza Pizza is hoping to get the city out and enjoy a free slice.
No purchase necessary. One slice per person, cheese or pepperoni only. Not available online, for delivery or pick-up, in-store only. The Pizza Pizza app must be presented at time of redemption. Only available in Montreal locations. Can not be combined with any other offer. Only available on July 14th 2021, between 11AM – 3PM EST. Additional items extra.


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Why Bank may stand still on rates
THE Bank of England's monetary policy committee raised interest rates for three successive months when it took over the task of setting the cost of borrowing in 1997.
The chance of a repeat now, following two rises in May and June, will be thrashed out by the MPC's nine members today as they consider whether to fire another salvo across debt-laden consumers and push up rates from 4.5%.
Steve Hawkes looks at the economic indicators the committee will scrutinise before announcing its verdict at midday tomorrow.
THE boom is far from over but there are finally signs the UK's runaway property sector may be losing some steam. Nationwide and Halifax recorded smaller house price increases in June, 0.9% and 1.2% respectively, than in May, and several housebuilders are beginning to comment that activity is levelling out.
ANOTHER sign people may be reacting to the MPC's two previous rate increases came with figures that showed mortgage lending rose in May by the smallest amount for six months - £4.9bn . Unsecured lending is still motoring along on the back of strong credit-card borrowing.
THE High Street remains buoyant, with the Euro 2004 football tournament providing yet another boost. Official figures show retail sales rose 0.8% in May, while the annual growth rate of 7.4% was the fastest for two years. The CBI estimates the balance of retailers registering higher volume of trade was plus 43 in June, down from plus 51 in May, but still robust.
STRONG manufacturing output data yesterday showed the recovery in industrial production is gathering pace, leaving gross domestic product on track to grow by around 1% in the second quarter and more than 3.5% for 2004 as a whole, above Gordon Brown's forecasts. Business activity growth in the services sector is below recent highs.
THIS is the threat on the horizon as the economy recovers and spare capacity is eaten up. After hitting its lowest rate for 18 months earlier this year, inflation rose to 1.5% in May from 1.2% on the back of sky-high crude oil prices. Experts believe it will continue to nudge closer to the MPC's all-important 2% target.
THE jobs market is continuing to tighten with May's 2.8% unemployment being the lowest since 1975. The number of people out of work and claiming benefits dropped a further 12,000 to 862,000. Average earnings in the three months to April rose 4.3%, indicating that basic pay is rising sharply.
REVISED figures for US growth in the first quarter of the year, down from 4.4% to 3.9%, fuelled fears that the recovery on the other side of the Atlantic may be levelling off but, even so, the US economy is performing strongly. The Bank of Japan believes the Tokyo economy is at the end of its long adjustment from the collapse of the tech bubble while the eurozone is also showing signs of waking up.
MPC members' views
THE minutes of last month's meeting showed June's quarter-point rise in rates was unanimously backed by MPC members, reassuring markets who feared they may have debated a half-point increase. Last week, Deputy Governor Rachel Lomax left the City in little doubt about the central focus of the committee when stating it could not 'ignore the influence of soaring house prices' on consumer spending.
THE economic recovery is on track and, although the jobs market is tightening and manufacturing picking up, there are signs the services sector is flattening out while rampant house prices are finally beginning to cool. With the Bank of England's next quarterly inflation report due in August, the MPC will sit on its hands and keep rates unchanged tomorrow.
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Craftable, an industry leading SaaS platform, announce that it has partnered with Dallas, Texas-based private equity firm Gauge Capital to provide growth funding and capitalize on industry opportunities. This strategic investment further enhances Craftable’s position at the forefront of cutting-edge technology shaping the hospitality industry.
“We are excited to partner with Gauge for the next chapter of Craftable’s growth. We look forward to leveraging the resources and support from an investment partner with significant enterprise software expertise while maintaining our relentless focus on the customer experience that has always been at the core of Craftable’s success,” says Samuel Zats, Co-Founder and CEO of Craftable. “Gauge’s growth investment in the business and aligned focus on supporting our customers will help us to accelerate our product innovation, execute our sales strategy and further build our impact in the market.”
Craftable’s innovative technology solutions equip restaurant, bar, hotel and hospitality operators with intuitive and easy-to-use tools that can help them make strategic decisions based on real-time data to drive sales and reduce costs. Its leading hospitality management SaaS platform allows for seamless back-of-house automation and management. By providing operators with procurement, inventory tracking, recipe cost management, accounts payable automation, scheduling and analytics solutions, they can use this critical data to boost revenue while successfully lowering pour costs by 3-5% and food costs by 2-3%. Today, Craftable has over 50,000 monthly active users, with more onboarding every day. Craftable serves thousands of hospitality industry operators and partners with some of the most prominent names in hospitality.
“Craftable has a distinguished reputation in the hospitality sector, enterprise-grade capabilities, and a highly scalable technology platform,” adds Tom McKelvey, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Gauge Capital. “We couldn’t be more excited to partner with the Craftable team to realize our shared vision for the future of hospitality innovation.”
As part of the investment, Tom McKelvey, Garrett Fair, and Sam Yang from Gauge Capital have joined Craftable’s Board of Directors. TI Partners served as financial advisor on the transaction.